Chris Gayle ready to make England duo Mark Wood and Jofra Archer feel full force of West Indies batting power in Ageas Bowl Cricket World Cup clash

Gayle is due to retire from one-day cricket after the World Cup and is eager to bow out on a high befitting his self-appointed ‘Universe Boss’ moniker.

The 39-year-old proved there was plenty left in the tank when England toured the Caribbean over the winter, smashing a record 39 sixes in a drawn five-match series.

The teams reconvene at the Hampshire Bowl on Friday, when Gayle can expect to be faced with a barrage from Barbados-born Archer and Durham’s Wood.

Both men have hit 95mph since the start of the tournament, and Archer is a new addition to the England side, but very little worries the big-hitting Jamaican.

‘Chris thrives on that. I have known him since he was 16 and he has always loved a challenge,’ said Collymore, the Windies bowling coach.

‘He has always enjoyed the challenge of fast bowling so I expect him to relish that.

‘I have known Archer for a while and I saw Wood in the Caribbean last year.

‘They are both very impressive, as we have seen throughout this tournament.’

Archer might have raised the West Indian attack to a new level had they persuaded him to pursue an international future with them, but even in his absence they are no timid prospect.

In Oshane Thomas, Andre Russell, Sheldon Cottrell and Shannon Gabriel they have four seamers capable of making the batsmen hop, leaving Collymore to predict a fiery encounter.

He added: ‘I did work with him (Archer) when he was a lot younger in Barbados. He was very impressive, the skills he shows now are ones we always had so we are expecting more of the same from him.

‘But we have quick bowlers too so it should be a lively game.

‘I don’t think many people like the short stuff, whether it is England or the West Indies.

‘If you find a batsman that has a weakness to it, then you go after that.’